Indight

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To write out or compose something in words ; to dictate or ordain what must be written
2. To set down in writing by one's own hand or instruction ; to prescribe or authoritatively determine what shall be recorded
3. To put into written form through one's own effort or command ; to direct that something be composed or written down

Etymology: "Indite" began in Latin as "indicere," meaning "to proclaim" or "to announce." It passed into Old French as "enditer," and English took it up to mean "to put into writing." "Indight" is an older spelling of the same verb, and it shows how English spelling once varied freely. The verb is closely related to "dight," which means "to dress" or "to equip." That word came into Old English from Latin "dictare," "to dictate," probably by way of an early borrowing, so "dight" and "indite" both trace back to Latin verbs of saying and ordering. Over time the two verbs took on different senses: one kept the idea of setting things in order, while the other stayed with composing words.

Synonyms: compose, write, pen, author